Officials say at least 17 suspected militants were killed in Pakistani air strikes that targeted insurgent hideouts near the Afghan border on November 14.

The official said fighter jets bombarded suspected Taliban positions in North Waziristan's Shawal Valley, where the military has been mounting an offensive against militant strongholds for more than a year.

Reuters quoted unnamed military and civilian officials as saying the air strikes destroyed five buildings in the Shawal area.

In addition to the Pakistani Taliban, North Waziristan is also home to fighters affiliated with Al Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, and various other militant groups.

The army intensified the ongoing offensive in the region following the massacre of 150 people, mostly children, by Taliban militants at a school in Peshawar in December.

The Pakistani military says more than 3,600 insurgents were killed since the offensive began.

The claim cannot be independently verified as the area is off limits to reporters.